Steering device



Aug. 28, 1923. 1,466.612

C. M. CASE STEERING DEVICE Filed Aug. 22, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet l aase NNNNNN OR Aug. 28, 1923.

1 c. M. CASE STEERING DEVICE 4 sheets sheet 2 Filed Aug. 22 1921 mi M v M 6 we (\fi a is A X q n JV flwwx i M W LL WU \wiw. nmu .N W U HU KW WITNESSES Aug. 23, 1923. 1,466.612

- c. M. CASE STEERING DEVICE 7 Filed Au 22. 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet s fgJjW. 5422 2141 wl'rwizssrs ATTORNEY Aug. 28, 19,23. 1,466,612

c. M. CASE INVENTOR ATTORNEY WITNESSES steering, apparatus.

I mately on the line the slidable blocks,

mean neg. 28,1923, v i p p I -.UN.ITED *srarss Parser or Garvin tCASE, or I\TIAGARAFALLS,,'NEW' YORK.

Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inSteering Devices, of which the following is a specification lily present invention hasireferenoe to My object is'toproduce a means whereby a train of trackless conveyances will be caused to. travel in the same direction and to successivelyturn at the same place at which the leading and guiding conveyance turnsfi 7 v 3 A further object is to provide trackless conveyances, such as a trainof motors, cars, vessels,[ete., with steering apparatus of a construction that shall be locked when the conveyances pursue 'a straight course, so that side swayingtherebetween will beprevented and which is also of a construction whereby the lockingsmeans is released when each conveyance reaches. a point at which the preceding conveyance has'made a turnto actuate means for likewisecausing the turning of each conveyance atthe precise point at Wl11Cl1 the preceding conveyance has turned.

To the attainmentgof the foregoing and other objectswhich will present themselves as the nature of the inventionis'better un derstoo'd, reference-is to be had to the ac companying drawings in which there is illustrated a satisfactory embodiment of the improvement reduced to] practice, and wherein V v Figure l is a side elevation of a: train of trucks provided with steering apparatus in accordance with this invention. Figure 2 isia. top plan view thereof.-

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the front wheels of one of the trucks illustrating the application of the improvement thereon.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the de vice as illustrated'in Figure 3. V

Figure 5 is'a sectional] view approxi- 5-5 of'Figure 4., F lgure 6 isa greatly enlarged sectional view through the drum and core,the laterally movable blocks being in'elevation.

Figure 7 is a greatly enlarged sectional view approximately on the line 7-7 of Figure.

Figure 8 is a perspective View Of 0 9f I that any desired number of trucks ricer-r.

a STEERING- DEVICE.

Application filed August 22,113214 Serial No. 494,425.

Figure 9 is an approximately central, vertical, transverse, sectional view through the construction disclosed in Figure 8. r p FigurelO is a side elevation of the drum actuating wheelv illustrating its connection with the front axle of a truck. Figure 11 is a fragmentary ofthe mounting for the operating wheel.

While infthe drawings 1 have-illustrated my steeringapparatus in connection with a is to be understood that train of trucks, it

is vnot to be, limitedto such appli the device cation, as thesamemay be employediwith equal efficiency on ances','either land or water craft. 7 r V I Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral ldesignates the forward or lead and" the numeral 2 designates thefol-f other trackless conveytruck, lower or remaining trucks of the train. Preferably the operating means forflrthe top plan view,

trucks 2 are controlled from the truck 1, so i 7 hitched together and to the truck 1, and the operator for all of the trucks being seated in the truck 1.

2 may be For distinction, the front axle of each truck Q f lS indicated by the numeral. 3, and V the connecting rod for the steeringknuckles for the truck wheels, by the numeral The axle 3 of each truck 2 supports thereon spaced frames, each of asimilar construction, and each broadlyindicated by the nu meralr 5. v

stantially V-shaped, and the forwardly pro- "ectin 1 an le arms thereof have their ends formed with bearings 6"fora shaft 7. r The opposite angle arms of the frames are formed with annular bosses 8 provided with squared bores for the reception of the squared ends 9 oftrunnions 1 0 provided upon the ends of acylindrical member which I will hereinafter, for the sake of convenience, refer-to as the core of the improvement. The core is indicated by the numeral 11; Journaled on the rounded inner portions of the trunnions are the wheel ends 12 of a cylindrical drum 13, the said drum, of course, surrounding the core, but being spaced therefrom.

wheels 12, constituting the ends of the Y bular "drum'13 are preferably bolted to the drum, as indicated by the numeral 14' and the said 'wheels have peripheral teeth 15' around which there are trained sprocket chains 16 that are likewise trained around similar sprocket wheels 17 on theshaft 7.

it will time befn ted that w e the sh f 6 The body'of'each frame is sub- The V is revolved, the drum 13 will be likewise turned. 7

Secured to the axle 3, at the center thereof there is a bracket 18 disposed at an upward angle and having an offset bearing 19 and an upwardly directed end 20. On the end 20 of the bracket there is a wheel that has both its upper and lower faces beveled 1nwardly from its periphery to provlde upper teeth 21 and lower teeth 22. Keyed on the shaft 7 there is a beveled toothed wheel 23 in mesh with the teeth 21 of the double beveled wheel.

Pivotally secured on the underface of the axlet-here is the arm 25 constituting an element of the mount 4;, the ground contacting operating wheel 26. By reference to Figure 11 of the drawings, it will be seen that the wheel 26 has its shaft journaled through a lug at the lower end of the arm 25, and also that the saidarm is provided with a lateral extension 27 having at. its end a right angularly disposed tubular portion 28. The tubular portion 28 provides a bearing for a shaft section 29, the second section of the shaft, indicated by the numeral 30 being connected to the section 29 by a universal joint and being journaled in the bearing 19 of the bracket. The outer end of the shaft 30 has secured thereon a beveledtoothed wheel 31 that is in mesh with the beveled toothed surface 22 of the double beveled wheel.

The shaft section 29 projects a suitable distance through the bearing 28 and has secured on its end a pinion 32 which is in mesh with a gear 33 keyed on the shaft 3 forthe power imparting wheel 26.

y of said shafts there is a conoid d1.

I thereof;

From. a construction as above described it will be seen that when the train is in motion the wheels 26 will operate to turn the drums 13 in the direction of the arrow illustrated in Figure 7. 3

The bore of the drum 13 has an annular seriesof teeth 35 arranged the entire length These teeth are designed to be engaged by similar teeth 36 providedupon the outer faces of slidable blocks 37. The inner faces of the blocks rest directly on the core 11. The drum 13 has equi-distantly spaced longitudinally arranged slots 38 which extend almost the length of the drum. Each block 37 has a centrally disposed lug 39 on the toothed face 36 thereof, the said lugs being received in the respective slots 38 of the drum 13. On each lug 39 there is a shaft extension 40, and journaled on each The short shafts 4C0 are formed with conical heads to conform to the shape of the pointed ends of the conoids, but not to interfere with the free turning of the conoids on said I shafts.

The core 11 has a peripheral depression extendlngthe entire length thereof whose wall is indicated by the numeral 4L0,

The depression is arranged transversely approximately one-third of the circumference of the core and is of a depth whereby the blocks resting on the wall 40 will be brought out of engagement with the teeth 35 of the drum 13, in a manner and for a purpose which will presently be apparent. The element which I shall term the distributor for the conoids is indicated by the numeral 41, the same comprising a concaved element which is disposed directly opposite the depression in the core.

The concaved receiving element for the conoids is disposed diametrically opposite the distributing member 41, and is indicated by the numeral 42. The receiving member as is connected by suitable clamping means as to the steering knuckle connecting rod a of the truck 2 and is also provided with a depending U-shaped bracket 4% having a roller 45 journaled therein which is engaged by spaced bearing rods to supported from depending angle arms 47 on the frame members 5. By reference to the drawings, it will be noted that both the distributor and the receiver are substantially V-shaped in plan, and that the reduced outlet end of the distributor is disposed opposite the widened receiving mouth of the receiver.

On the outer face of the'distributor 41, adjacent to the ends thereof there are substantially U-shaped brackets d8 and 49, and between the arms of each bracket there is journaled a grooved roller 50, the opposite faces of each roller beingin contacting engagement with spaced rods 51 respectively that are secured on upper and lower horizontal extensions 52 and 53 on the frame members 5. The vertical arms of the frame members 5, on which the horizontal arms 52 are formed, are indicated'for distinction by the numeral 54, the opposed arms 54 being connected at their upper ends by a plate 56, or if desired the plate may be formed integrally with the members 5. On the mem ber 56 there is centrally pivoted, as at 57, a link 58.

On the outer face of the distributor 41 there is an upstanding arm 59 having an angle end carrying an l.-shaped extension 60, the horizontal arm of which being bifurcated, receiving therein one of the reduced ends of the link 58, the said end being pivoted thereto, as at 61. Also on the outer face of the distributor 41' there is a second upstanding arm 62 having its upper end provided with an offset and. bifurcated extension receiving therein and having pivoted thereto the reduced end of a rod 63. The second reduced end of the link 58 is received in the bifurcated end and pivotally connected with a rod 6a. The rods63 and G l are of equal lengths, and the rod 63 on one of the trucks 2 is centrally pivoted, as at all,

to therear transverse bar of the truck frame; The outer or free end of the said bar 63 has a knuckle connection 66 with theend of the rod 64L of the adjacent truck 2. The rod 63, on the rear truck is ofa length equal ling the distance between the pivot 65 and the knuckle connection 66, and the knuckle connection is, such asto permit a vertical movement-between the connected rods.

The rod, indicated for distinction by thei numeral 67, which is pivoted to the rear of the frameof the truck l'has a' knuckle connection with a rod 68 that is fixedly secured on the spindle or knuckle connecting rod 69 for the steering wheels70 of the said truck 1. i

i It is to be understood that the wheel base of all of the trucks are-equi-distantly spaced drum; The last mentioned conoids are in contacting engagement with the inner concaved. wall of the distributor, andit will thus be noted that a swinging of the rod 64: incident to the turning of the forward truck 1 will swing the rod 63 connected to the next truck 2 to slide the distributor to arrange the conoids therein in a position to be delivered therefrom at a'deternnned point with respect to the revolving drum. The conoids after leaving the distributor are again locked to the drum and are in a position to he received in the widened mouth of the receiver 4:2. The conoids, when arranged in the receiver will he moved against one of the angle walls thereof, thus imparting a lateral movement to the receiver to cause the same to impart a like motion to the steering knuckle connecting rod 4 of the said truck 2, causing the wheels of the saic truck to assume the same angle at the same spot on which the wheels or" the truck 1 assumed a like angle. In a similar manner, the movement of the distributor on the truck 2 next to the truck 1 will cause the swinging of the rod 63 to break the joint between this rod and the rod 64 connected with the receiver of the next truck 2, to cause the swinging of the link 58 to move the distributor of the last mentioned truck to properly position the conoids therein and allow the same to be delivered therefrom locked to the drum in positions when received in the receiver 42 or" the lastinentioned truck to cause the sliding of the said receiver and the lateral movement of the steering knuckle connectingrodfil), with the result that the last mentioned truck turns in the same direction and at the same point of turning as that o the preceding truck. '1 a It isthought that the foregoing description, when taken in connection with the drawings will fully set forth the construction andoperation of the improvement to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates. V The de ice is of acomparatl vely s mple construction and as previously stated, only the driver of the front truck or conveyance is required in prop-V erly -ste ring a train of trucks or conveyances, The construction herein described and illustrated discloses a satisfactory. em.-

hodiment of the improvement, but the nature of the invention is such'as' to render the same susceptible to various changes and ,moditications, and therefore it isto be understood thatI' hold myself entitled to make all such changes which fall within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended I 7 claims.

. Having-described the inventiomlclaimr+ 1. The combination with a train of vehicles, of means connecting the same and susceptible to swinging in a lateral direction only 'means on all of the vehicles, except the leading vehicle for locking the connecting means when the vehicles pursue straight-course; means for successively releasing said locking means when the first vehicle takes an angular course, means connected with the steering apparatus of all except the lirstvehicle and means actuated by the releasing means for engaging and imparting a lateral movement to the last mentioned means to cause the vehicles to successively assunie the same angular course of the preceding vehicles and at the same place in which said vehicles have taken such course. a

2, The combination with a train of vehicles of means connecting the same and susceptible to swingingin a lateral direction only, means on all of the vehicles cxcept the leading vehicle for locking the connecting means when the vehicles pursue a straight course, means for successively leasing said locking means when the first vehicle takes an angular course, means connected with the steering apparatus of all except the first vehicle said locking means including revoluble means and slidable means projecting therethrough, and means actuated by the releasing means for positioning the slidable means in locking engagement with the revoluhle means for contacting engagement with the means connected with the steeringapparatus to laterally influence the same to cause all of the vehicles to take the same angle course at the same place in which such course is taken by the preceding vehicle. 5

slidable means associated with said revolu' ble means projectin 'therethrough, means tor loclilng certain or said slidable means to the revoluble means, means connected with the operatingmeans for contacting \vith'and releas ng the slidable means, means disposed diametrically opposite the last mentioned means for receiving the locked slidable means, said last mentioned means connected With, the steering apparatus of the'vehicles 'tor actuating the same when contacted by the slidable means, when the latter is disposed in'one' position on the revolubie means incident to the aligning arrangement'thereof by the releasing means when the latter has been'moved by the connecting means for the vehicles and whereby all of the vehicles are caused to take the same angle course at the same place such course has been taken by the preceding vehicle.

41. The combination with a train of vehicles having the same Wheel base and being equi-distantly' spaced apart, of means connecting and steering the vehicles, said means including pivotally connected rods breakable in a lateral direction only, one of said' rods being connected with the steering apparatus of the lead vehicle, revoluble means on the remaining vehicles, ground contacting means for imparting motion thereto, men.- hers susceptible to movement projecting through the rotary means, means in the rotary means contacting the members for holding certain of the same in locked position therewith, a distributor having angle sides connected with and designed for lateral movement by the breaking of the joints of the connecting rods for holding the slidable members in one position when the vehicles travel 'in a straight course and for moving the members to arrange the same in another position on the revoluble means when the vehicles take an angular course, means connected with the steering apparatus of said vehicles for receiving said slidable means when in locked position and designed to be contacted thereby to influence the steering apparatus to cause each vehicle to assume the same angular course as the precedingve hicle at the same place in Which such course was taken by said preceding vehicle.

5. The combination with a train of vehicles, of means connecting the same, including breakable rods centrally pivoted to each vehicle, and a connecting rod between the steering apparatus and the rod of the lead vehicle, centrally pivoted links connecting the outer ends of the remaining rods, supporting means therefor carried by the trail vehicles, a fixed core having a depressed periphery on said supporting means, a slotted drum surrounding the core, ground contacting means for imparting motion to the drum when the vehicles are in motion, blocks resting enthe core and having lugsv projecting through the slots in the drum, conoids runnioned on the outer ends of the lugs,

means between the blocks and drum for locln ing the same thereto except such blocks as are received in the depression of the core, a concaved distributor for the conoids for lateral movement on the support, pivotally connected with the link and with the connecting rod of the next vehicle, said dis tributor having angle sides designed to contact with the conoids to force the sa 'ie in the depression of the core, a receiver for the onoids slidable on the support and connected to the steering apparatus of the vehicle comprising a member having angle sides which are designed to be contacted by the conoids to impart a lateral movement thereto and to the steering apparatus when the connecting rods influence the links to laterally move the distributor to arrange the conoids at certain positions on the drum in accordance with the direction of travel assumed 'bythe preceding vehicles and whereby all of the vehicles will be caused to take the same angular course at the same place at which such course was taken by the preceding vehicles.

Signed at lliagara Falis, N. county of Niagara, State of eleiv 20th day of August 1921.

CALVIN M.

Y., in the York, this 

